Avatar Last Names
The Avatar last name is a name chosen from a predetermined list of names assigned by Linden Labs. Since it is set in the list by Linden Labs and not entered but chosen by a member, the last name casts a light on the mindset of the Linden Labs creators. The last name usually refers to a significant person, place, or event, either in history or in popular culture and literature. Occasionally, Linden Labs will retire a last name from the new members list, although existing members can still carry that name. Last names and their significance *'Bessie' is taken from American screenwriter Alvah Bessie (Jun. 4, 1904 - Jul. 21, 1985), who was also one of the Hollywood Ten, the film professionals who refused to testify before the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee regarding involvement in American Communist Party and were blacklisted as a result. Bessie is just one of many references to the Hollywood Ten in the Linden's last name list. *'Biberman' is taken from American screenwriter and director Herbert Biberman (Mar. 4, 1900 - Jun. 30, 1971), who was also one of the Hollywood Ten, the film professionals who refused to testify before the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee regarding involvement in American Communist Party and were blacklisted as a result. Biberman is another reference to the Hollywood Ten in the Linden's last name list. *'Bogart' refers to the American actor Humphrey Bogart (Dec. 25, 1899 - Jan. 14, 1957). *'Cole' is likely a reference to American screenwriter Lester Cole (Jun. 19, 1904 - Aug. 15, 1985), another member of the Hollywood Ten. *'Debs' is a reference to Eugene Debs (Nov. 5, 1855 - Oct. 20, 1926), an early 20th-century American political activist, labor leader, and five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. *'Dmytryk' is another reference to Hollywood Ten, referring to taken from American film director Edward Dmytryk (Sept. 4, 1908 - Jul. 1, 1999). *'Lardner' likely refers to American journalist and screenwriter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_Lardner_Jr (Aug. 19, 1915 - Oct. 31, 2000), another blacklisted as part of the Hollywood Ten. *'Lawson' likely refers to John Howard Lawson (Sept. 25, 1894 - Aug. 14, 1977), American writer who was also part of the Hollywood Ten. *'Fassbinder' is a reference to Rainer Werner Fassbinder (May 31, 1945 - Jun. 10, 1982), a German film director and actor who was part of the New German Cinema movement in the 1960s to 1980s. *'Hutchence' likely refers to Michael Hutchence (Jan. 22, 1960 - Nov. 22, 1997), frontman for the Australian rock band, INXS. *'Ludd' refers to the mythical character Ned Ludd or King Ludd, who was supposedly the founder of the Luddite social movement, which protested the changes of the Industrial Revolution by destroying textile machines. *'Maltz' share it's name with Albert Maltz (Oct. 28, 1908 - Apr. 26, 1985), author and screenwriter and another member of the Hollywood Ten and blacklisted in Hollywood. *'Maginot' makes reference to the Maginot Line, the defensive line of static concrete fortifications that the French emplaced on the border of Germany and Italy following World War I and was neutralized by the Germans by their invasion of Belgium and the Netherlands early in World War II. *'Melville' takes it's name from American writer Herman Melville (Aug. 1, 1819 - Sept. 28, 1891). *'Minogue' likely refers to Australian pop singer and actress Kylie Minogue (May 28, 1968 - ). *'Mondrian' refers to the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (Mar. 7, 1872 - Feb. 1, 1944). *'Ornitz' comes from the last name of Samuel Ornitz (Nov. 15, 1890 - Mar. 10, 1957), an American screenwriter who was one of the Hollywood Ten and blacklisted by Hollywood studio bosses at the end of McCarthyism. *'Rosebud' is the name of Charles Foster Kane's boyhood keepsake, a sled, in the Orson Welles film, Citizen Kane. *'Scott' likely comes from Adrian Scott (Feb. 6, 1912 - Dec. 25, 1975), an American screenwriter and film producer who was one of the Hollywood Ten. *'Trumbo' is taken from American screenwriter and novelist Dalton Trumbo (Dec. 9, 1905 - Sept. 10, 1976), who was also one of the Hollywood Ten, the film professionals who refused to testify before the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee regarding involvement in American Communist Party and were blacklisted as a result. Trumbo also wrote the novel Johnny Got His Gun and directed the film adaptation. Retired names *'Protagonist' is not only the central character in a story, according to classical narrative theory, but most likely in reference to the main character in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, Hiro Protagonist. Protagonist was one of the names that came from the original Beta test. *'Rand' is likely comes from Russian-born, American novelist and founder of the philosophy of Objectivism, Ayn Rand (Feb. 2, 1905 - Mar. 6, 1982). Rand was one of the last names that could be chosen in the original Beta test. *'Roark' is the last name of the architect main character, Howard Roark, from Ayn Rand's novel, The Fountainhead. *'Zugzwang' is a German phrase meaning "compulsion to move". It describes a situation in the game of chess when one player is put at a disadvantage and is forced to move, putting them into a weaker position. Category:Avatar History